Champion's walk – World champion Sebastian Vettel receives the plaudits after setting the fastest time in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix.

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F1 Grid Girls Texan style7 photos

Texan 'tom boy' – COTA girl Ashley Elgie describes herself as a tom-boy: "If I was given the chance I'd maybe drive a Formula One car."

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F1 Grid Girls Texan style7 photos

Cowboy country – Cowboy style hats are very appropriate headwear for the grid girls to wear in the paddock at the United States Grand Prix in Texas.

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F1 Grid Girls Texan style7 photos

Dawn start – It's a tough being a COTA girl for Austin born and raised Amanda Bingman as she gets up before the crack of dawn to get "big Texas hair" ahead of the U.S. Grand Prix.

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F1 Grid Girls Texan style7 photos

Boot parade – Boot parade. Texan style footware is the order of the day for the grid girls at the F1 Grand Prix in Austin.

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Story highlights

Grid girls share the tarmac with the stars of F1

Work long hours and have to abide by strict rules

Over 250 applicants for the job from all over the world

Have been part of F1 since the 1960s

It is 5:00am on Sunday morning in Austin, Texas.

Dawn has yet to break here but preparations are already under way for the afternoon's Formula One race.

A golden glow of light pools from a hair salon in the west of the city; inside the COTA girls -- named after the Circuit of the Americas track where the U.S. Grand Prix is staged - are being preened and coiffed for their big day.

The young women share the grid with some of the sport's biggest names but while Red Bull's four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was still getting his beauty sleep the COTA girls are already at work.

"I've been waking up at about four o'clock in the morning," explains Amanda Bingman, a first time COTA girl and the troop's only redhead. "The drivers probably get to sleep in and wait for their crew to get their stuff together.

The girls are not allowed to talk to the drivers unless they are spoken to first and there's an even stricter rule imposed by the COTA girls' manager Kristen Ditto, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

"One of my very, very strict policies is that in a non-working situation the girls may not interact with the race car drivers," Ditto explained to CNN.

"However, in a working situation they have to be cordial and that's it."

COTA girl Grace Kim illuminates further: "Last year I was the grid girl for Michael Schumacher. I think he said hello - but he was getting in the zone."

"It's not just about the looks department either, it's a lot more than that. We are looking for the all-American woman who is poised, attractive and confident, a great communicator and who can be a COTA ambassador."

Although the role of a COTA girl comes with a salary and a year-long contract, the women also hold down full-time jobs or are in college.

Learning curve

Being a COTA girl is an exciting break from the norm but for some it is also a useful learning curve.

"I'm in school right now for radio and television," explains Jordan Hannah, a 19-year-old from Dallas.

"I want to be a sports reporter or an anchor woman so this is really good for me.

"It teaches me how to handle myself in environments when I might feel overwhelmed, how to communicate with people from different parts of the world.

Ditto is also on hand to make sure the girls are not put in any situations they do not feel comfortable with.

"The girls are always being hit on," she says. "It's just the nature of the beast but we want them to be at ease with everything that they do.

"If I walk in the door and it's all alcohol, all men; a bunch of people just carrying on, I probably will just skip that suite or I'll just tell the girls 'just keep a smile on your face, say hello and we'll quickly excuse ourselves.'

"I have to be the bad cop. If the environment goes sour then we quickly assess the situation and get out of there."

American sweetheart

It may be less than sweet but for now being an American sweetheart is not a job for the boys.

Grid boys have made rare appearances in F1, for example at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, but there are no plans for cowboys to giddy up on the Texan grid.

"I haven't had any [men] apply," says Ditto, when asked why there aren't any COTA boys.

"I don't think it's sexist but I have to be really, really careful because that's a good question.

"I would say in different parts of the world that would be totally acceptable, I just can't see that being welcomed here because we are so used to seeing beautiful Texas women. I think it's cultural for sure."

Tom-boy girls

Kim, who is also the circuit's official DJ, has her own theory: "We're kind of tom-boy girls."

Elgie agrees: "We recently worked at an event where we were able to race go-karts round the track.

"I was so mad because I was in first place for the longest time and then I got passed by some man at the end. I was so ticked off, I got second place."

So, the COTA girls definitely do not see themselves as second best in a man's world?

"Never!" exclaims Kim. "We're always representing girl power."

Girl power just needs a little extra preening and with that it is back to business at the early bird hair salon to "fluff and puff" their Texas style.